PCRMC in top 10 percent in areas surveyed by various entities

In all measurements conducted by Medicare, Consumer Reports and the Joint Commission, Phelps County Regional Medical Center either meets expectations or beats national averages.

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By R.D. Hohenfeldt

The Rolla Daily News - Rolla, MO

By R.D. Hohenfeldt

Posted Mar. 29, 2013 at 10:00 AM

By R.D. Hohenfeldt

Posted Mar. 29, 2013 at 10:00 AM

ROLLA

In all measurements conducted by Medicare, Consumer Reports and the Joint Commission, Phelps County Regional Medical Center either meets expectations or beats national averages.

Reviewing 2012 data on heart attacks, heart failures, pneumonia and surgical site infections, Linde Merrow, PCRMC administrative director of clinical quality and measurement, told the Board of Trustees that the hospital ranked in the top 10 percent of hospitals.

“There’s no place safer to go to the hospital (than PCRMC),” board President Dr. John T. Park said following Merrow’s presentation, and he thanked all hospital employees for their work in assuring the local hospital’s performance was better than most others.

Merrow also reported the Joint Commission inspected the hospital and asked for additional information. She submitted that information March 15 and is waiting to hear back from the Joint Commission.

“It was a very good survey,” she said of the Joint Commission’s inspection of the hospital.

In other action or discussion:

Chief Financial Officer Ed Clayton presented the financial report in the Finance Committee meeting. The committee recommended approval of the report by the board, which later approved it.

Clayton said February’s numbers were down from January’s figures.

Average daily census in February was 236, and 256 had been budgeted.

Income from operations was flat, but thanks to non-operating revenue of $594,000, the hospital ended the month with $600,000 in net income.

In other financial reporting, Clayton noted the debt-to-equity ratio puts the hospital “in a great position to borrow, and it’s the right time to borrow.” He added that such a move would depend on what the borrowing would be meant to finance.

The Finance Committee recommended, and the board later approved, that the hospital transfer its banking relationship from Bank of America, which no longer has a presence in Rolla, to US Bank, which does.

Clayton said requests for proposal had been sent out and the best proposals came from US Bank and Regions Bank, which also has a local facility. Representatives of both banks met with hospital officials.

“The difference (between the two banks) is like that,” Clayton said, holding his thumb and forefinger slightly apart.

US Bank had a slight edge in several criteria, he said, adding that US Bank sent local representatives to meet with hospital officials while Regions Bank sent St. Louis representatives.

Reporting on the effects of the federal “sequestration,” Clayton said there will likely be a 2 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements to the hospital. That will take effect April 1, so the effect for the remainder of the year will be a loss of revenue amounting to $1.56 million.

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Dr. Jeff Holen spoke to the board on behalf of Schumacher Group, the emergency medical service that will begin providing physician staffing in the Emergency Department beginning April 1. Dr. Holen, from Colorado, said the company is headquartered in Lafayette, La., and has contacts with hospitals in 23 states. In Missouri, Schumacher Group is in 16 emergency departments.

The 20-year-old company is owned by physicians, so it has “stakeholders, not stockholders,” Dr. Holden said, and that makes a difference in the care offered.

Once Schumacher begins providing service, emergency department patients will receive two bills for service, one from the hospital and one from Schumacher Group.